Kids and Baby Shoes

A blog that's all about the kids and babies and for the mom's and dad's as well.

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Teach your child how to tie their shoes

Many children get frustrated when trying to learn how to tie shoelaces. While there's no miraculous solution other than patience and lots of practice, there are ways that you can help your child acquire this useful skill.

Steps:1. Wait until your child is ready. Most children develop the dexterity needed to tie shoelaces between the ages of 4 and 6. Girls are often ready to learn slightly earlier than boys.

2. Make sure your child knows right from left before you try to teach him how to tie his shoes.

3. Choose one method of lace tying, and teach it consistently. Make sure that everyone who may be trying to help your child learn this skill is offering the same method. Otherwise, he may get confused.

4. Make up a game or poem to help your child remember the necessary steps.

5. Make sure that you and your child are side by side rather than opposite each other when you demonstrate. That way he'll be able to copy your movements rather than mirror them.

6. Give your child lots of praise when he gets it right.

Tips:To help your child differentiate left from right, try putting a sticker on one hand or tying a piece of yarn around one wrist.

One easy method of shoe tying is to have your child make two loops, then tie them together in a simple knot. This is easier than bow tying and just as effective.

If your child is left-handed and you aren't, try to find an adult lefty to help teach him this skill.

Warnings:Be sure to teach your children how to do this, even though alternatives are available. Velcro shoes and elastic no lace laces may be fun for your kids, but they'll have to learn how to tie their shoes eventually, and basic knot and bow tying is a good skill to know.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Buying Your Child Clothes

Shop For Children

Buying kids' clothes can go from being a delight with your first baby to a challenge with your preteen. Whether you're shopping for a child who's growing like a weed or locked into a battle of wills with your toddler or preteen, planning before you shop is the key to saving time, money and sanity--all valued commodities for busy parents. Shopping for infants and toddlers

Steps

1. Keep in mind that babies grow fast and have the next size ready to go. Many new parents and gift givers don't realize that some babies never fit, or fit only for a few days, in clothes sized zero to three months. If you receive a lot of gifts in this size, exchange most for sizes six to nine, or nine to 12 months.

2. Remember that toddlers need clothes that pull on and off easily when they're in the "I can do it myself" and potty-training stages. Shopping for older kids

Steps

1. Take inventory. At the start of each season, pull out and sort all the kids' clothes. Box any outgrown items for selling, donating to charity or storing.

2. Make a season-specific shopping list that includes categories such as basics, school clothes, outerwear, and athletic and extracurricular attire. When considering quantities, consider how frequently laundry gets done in your house.

3. Keep kids' preferences and ages in mind, and ask for their input. By second or third grade, expect them to have firm opinions about what's cool and what's not. Look at Web sites and catalogs together at home to see what they like before venturing out to shop. Explain any limits you have regarding styles you're willing to purchase, but use your veto power sparingly.

4. Set a budget and use it as a teaching tool. As soon as your kids are old enough to understand, tell them how much you plan to spend and let them help decide where to spend it. If the name brand wardrobe your daughter must have costs too much, a compromise might be a few T-shirts from her favorite store and less expensive jeans from a discount store

5. Buy socks and underwear to fit, in bulk and in the same color, style and/or brand for each child. These items wear out fast and are uncomfortable if they're too big. You don't want to have to throw out a good sock just because its mate got lost. If you have more than one child, assigning a color or brand to each also decreases laundry mix-ups. Limiting styles to one choice also eliminates fussiness on busy mornings.

6. Take a child shopping if you have a question about size or an exceptionally picky child. Make sure everyone is well rested and fed to cut down on short tempers. Consider shopping without the kids for expediency. Just make sure you can return anything that doesn't work out.

7. When shopping for uniforms quality if everything, especially if your child or children will attend the same school for more than one year. Purchase clothes large enough that they can grow into them. Clothes will look less worn if additional uniforms are purchased to reduce the number of washes over the course of the year and can be handed down as younger siblings grow.

Overall Tips

Make sure you understand return policies, which have gotten stricter in many stores, and file your receipts, which are also important for any items with a wear-out warranty. Focus on buying durable basics such as jeans that will hold up after many washings. Inspect items for quality construction. Feel the fabric to see if it seems sufficiently heavy to withstand wear and tear. Check that buttons and zippers fasten securely.

Buying your first pair of kids shoes

Kids go through enough shoes that you may want to consider a 401(k) plan just for their feet.Children's feet can grow an entire size or more every two to three months, and rough and tumble play takes its toll. Shopping for kids shoes, doesn't need to be daunting. The key is to keep up with growth spurts by having your kids feet properly measured on a regular basis.Looking for the first pairSteps:

Wait to buy shoes until your child starts to walk. Research suggests that children develop healthy, well-developed feet when they learn to walk barefoot. Keep theirfeet toasty and unrestricted with soft booties or warm skid-free socks. Robeez (robeez.com) makes thin but warm leather moccasins in a range of colors and sizes that actually stay on little babies feet.

When it's time for your babys first pair of shoes, take your well rested, recently fed child to a quality children's shoe store that stock brands such as Stride Rite andUmi. The best stores have patient and knowledgeable salespeople who are expert at fitting childrens feet.

Have the salesperson measure the length and width of both of the child's feet. Many babies have an extra wide foot and may need a special size.

Make sure the shoes aren't too big, which can cause a baby to trip. First shoes should be soft and pliable to let new walkers feel the ground.

As they growSteps:

Have your child's feet measured on a regular basis at a shoe store that specializes in children's shoes - Stride Rite is always a good place to start.. Kids grow fast, and shoe sizes can change from month to month. Really good sales staff can spot evasive maneuvers like tight toes, and know how to woo a reluctant child out of a parent's lap. Toys and play areas are added featues for distracting the child during the fitting.

Head to discount stores, such as UniqueHomeStore.Com, Target and Kmart, which are also great sources for shoes that get limited wear, such as dress shoes. If you're clear about your kids' shoe size, you can save a bundle at these discounters. However, many of these stores don't carry wide or narrow shoes.

Have your child try both shoes on at the same time. Toes should have a 1/2-inch clearance, but not much more. Getting one size larger than their foot is fairly typical. Watch your child walk and make sure that the heels don't slip out. Remember, Shoes vary in fit, even within the same brand. If a heel is too wide but the rest of the shoe fits, you can try heel pads (available at some shoe stores and drugstores try CVS).

Invest in a good pair of sneakers that your child can wear every day. This pair will take apounding, so look for quality. Leather holds up better than vinyl, and stitching lasts longer than glue.

Take advantage of Velcro fasteners. At some point, though, all kids need to learn to tieshoelaces, so get your preschool-age child at least one pair that ties.

For summer months or warm climates, purchase cheap canvas sneakers for playing in the sand box, jumping in puddles or going in the creek. Velcro-strapped sandals are greatfor tender feet that want to have wet summertime fun. Closed toe sandals are usually better for smaller children.

Buy rain and winter boots a size or two bigger. Kids can wear heavier or even doubled socks. Most retailers won't restock boots, even if they sell out of a size, untilthe following year's season. Be aware that most rain boots don't come in wide sizes; you may have to go up in size to get them wide enough.

Overall Tips:

Some shoe stores such as Stride Rite offer warranties. If the shoes wear out before your kids outgrow them, they will replace them. Be sure to keep receipts. Shap at a store you can trust.

Shoes with lights are a huge hit with little kids and are found on both quality and discountbrands.

Outlets and discounters like Marshall's, Ross and T.J. Maxx often sell brand-name shoes.The selection of sizes and styles may be limited, though.

If your child wears orthotics, bring them with you when trying on shoes.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Primigi Spring and Summer Sandals

Primig Summer 2006

Primigi is offering some great spring and summer shoes and sandals this year. We found these at uniquehomestore. Not your basic summer sandals. These glitter with bling, flowers and a wonderful design. We love Primigi for their European design, great quality and style that can be found on very few other shoes.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Happy Birthday

And like all of his other birthdays, he will celebrate in style. Although this year, the present was a bit strange. Brooklyn got a a pair of dazzling diamond earrings, which are a scaled down version of the Â£75,000 earrings his father David Beckham wears. Earrings on a 6 year old boy?

Brooklyn is also being treated to a Â£10,000 party at the family's villa in Madrid, with fire-eaters, clowns, and jugglers as well as a host of celebs and their kids. In the past, Brooklyn's birthdays have included a Â£10,000 party at a Brittish hotel and ice sculptures (1st), rental of a pub and a play place next to it (2nd), rental of an entire movie theatre (3rd and 5th), and a giant marquee on his family's English estate with a pony for a gift (4th).

Friday, April 21, 2006

Raising Yur Child to be an Educated Consumer

How to Raise an Educated Consumer

by Anita Gurian, Ph.D.

Children, from the day they are born, are significant consumers. Think of the newborn in her crib complete with a hanging mobile, the 9-month-old watching a Baby Mozart video, the 2-year-old wanting the new Beanie Baby toy he sees on a toddler television program, the 5-year-old asking for the action toy pictured on the cereal box, the 9-year-old wanting cut-off jeans, the 15-year-old downloading the latest music from Madonna, the ultimate Material girl. Children have enormous power, both indirect and direct, in influencing what parents buy for them

Parents have few choices in dealing with the steady stream of want. They can resist demands they consider unreasonable or inappropriate, or they can give in, tired of the struggle or fearful that their children won't meet the standards of their friends. Advertisers capitalize on this dilemma. There is, however, a solution. Parents can educate themselves and their kids to be attuned to the impact, the truthfulness and the purpose of ads.

Background information

Industry spending on advertising to children has increased during the last decade from $l00 million in 1990 to more than $2 billion in 2000.

The average American child sees 40,000 commercials a year on television alone.

Sixty-six percent of children have a television set in their bedrooms.

These facts are good for business, but can affect a child's social, emotional and physical health, in various ways. Here are just a few:

Advertising can encourage a child to believe that his/her personality and likeability can be expressed in things.

Excessive materialism can affect the development of children's self-image and values.

Explain that commercials and other ads are planned to make people want things they don't necessarily need, as pointed out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Discuss the products they see advertised in terms of what they actually do for people.

Have children discuss ads in children's magazines and television and help them critique what they see, from a favorable and unfavorable point of view.

Encourage kids to compare advertisers' claims with their own actual experience with the product.

Put the television set in a common room in the household so parents will be aware of what their children are watching.

Help kids understand that they can't always have everything they see advertised.

Special issues for younger kids

Limit the amount of television children watch, according to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Children learn best through interactions with real people.

Keep in mind that young children watching television often can't distinguish between the program and the commercial.

Encourage watching public television stations.

Tape programs to be replayed without the commercials.

Be aware of what they're watching and talk about the characters and the stories in the programs.

Special issues for school-age and older kids

To help children become financially savvy, give them a budget with a hypothetical amount of money to spend, and ask them to fit their wish list into this budget by checking catalogues and Web sites.

Talk about techniques, such as free samples, recommendations of sports or movie stars, commercials during favorite programs, marketers use to target kids. Many children feel pressured to keep up with the latest fashion or toys that their friends have.

Advertisers take advantage of the typical anxieties and self-doubts of pre-teens and teens by making them feel they need their product to feel "cool." To sensitize them to this trend and to highlight the effect that ads can have on people, discuss the following questions (adapted from the Media Awareness Network) with individual children or in a group:

Do you ever feel bad about yourself for not owning something?

Have you ever felt that people might like you more if you owned a certain item?

Has an ad make you feel that you would like yourself more, or that others would like you more if you owned the product the ad is selling?

Do you worry about your looks? Have you ever felt that people would like you more if your face, body, skin or hair looked different?

Has an ad ever made you feel that you would like yourself more, or others would like you more, if you changed your appearance with the product the ad was selling?

Have children collect ads that promote a positive body image.

Discourage congregating in malls, which create an atmosphere of buying as a social activity.

Talk about the effects of consumerism on the environment, such as waste accumulation and disposal problems.

Cultivate the pleasure of giving

Make children aware that some children don't have many toys or material things.

Donate old toys and games to local community centers. Giving children money to donate to a cause of their own choosing teaches them to take on responsibility for themselves. Kids can learn that wealth comes from what is shared rather than from what is owned.

Projects such as donating to a charity can be a family tradition and teaches children that we are all responsible for helping others; collecting toys at holiday time, collecting art supplies and warm clothes for needy children, are some examples of activities for the family to work on together.

Be aware of your own feelings

Parents need to think about their own buying habits. Their own history of buying affects their approach to buying for their children. Some people who may have felt deprived of material goods when they were younger may buy too much for their own children. Others may go in the opposite direction. Some may use gifts to make up for feeling they are absent from their children's lives.

Kids want more time with their parents, not more things. Be a good role model—although kids are influenced by pop culture, media, sports personalities and movie stars, parents are still the most potent influence in children's lives. Spend time, not just money.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Test fail to confirm bear was killer of girl - Breaking News

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Preliminary forensic results were not able to confirm if a captured black bear was responsible for killing a 6-year-old girl and injuring her mother and brother, officials said Tuesday.

Trapping will continue around the Cherokee National Forest swimming hole in southeast Tennessee where Elora Petrasek of Clyde, Ohio, was fatally mauled and her mother, Susan Cenkus, 45, and 2-year-old brother Luke Cenkus were injured on April 13.

The suspected male bear was captured three days after the attack not far from the swimming hole. Tissue and hair samples collected from a necropsy completed Monday at the University of Tennessee Veterinary School will undergo further tests. Tests showed the bear, which was euthanized, did not have rabies. An examination of the bear’s digestive system found no evidence of human remains or clothing, UT spokeswoman Sandra Harbison said. Pathologist Robert Donnell said Monday that too much time may have elapsed since the attack to find such traces.

However, tissue samples were being sent off for further study in search of human DNA. Additional studies to match the bear’s DNA on fur samples collected from the victims and in the attack area were planned.

Black bears normally are shy and there have been only 56 documented killings of humans by members of the species in North America in the past 100 years. The previous fatal attack was in 2000, when a woman day hiking in the Smokies was killed. Officials suspect the bear that mauled the Ohio family was hungry and just waking from winter hibernation. They called it a likely predatory attack, not the result of some provocation by the victims.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Shop Amazon.Com

If you are looking for a great safe place to shop try Amazon.Com. Amazon has a great selection of kids and baby products offered my many vendors. We have found a few great stores on Amazon that are worth a look. Check this store out!

Shop Froogle

Have you seen Froogle lately? Froogle is a great place to find kids' items at great prices. We found this great kids store that features all the top brands of childrens shoes, like Stride Rite and Primigi. Check it out.....

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Easter Eggs: Decorating, Hunts and Bunnies

Easter Eggs are an important part of the Easter tradition. Learn about their history, and about Easter Eggs around the world.

Easter Eggs

The association of eggs with the Easter Bunny is actually a recent one. It seems to be the result of an ad campaign (believe it or not) by European candy makers who wanted to advertise their product. The egg, long a symbol of fertility, had long been a traditional staple of Easter celebrations. The pairing of the Easter Egg and the Easter Bunny at the end of the nineteenth century was not only a stroke of marketing genius, but also well-founded in the traditions of the past.

Decorating Easter Eggs

While no one can say when the practice of giving eggs actually became associated with Easter, the decorating of eggs is as diverse as the cultures that engage in the practice. It is known that the eggs were painted with bright colors to celebrate spring and were used in Easter egg-rolling contests and given as gifts, a practice that predated the advent of Christianity. Medieval records note that eggs were often given as Easter gifts to servants by their masters. What is known is that the egg, like the rabbit, was a symbol of renewal of life and therefore a logical symbol for the celebration of Easter.

The methods of decoration are as varied as the peoples who practice it. Some of the most elaborate are the Ukrainian Pysanki eggs. These ornate objects are truly works of art. First, melted beeswax is applied to the white, unblemished shell using a brass cone mounted on a stick; this tool is known as a Kistka. Then, the egg is dipped into the first of a series of dyes; this process is repeated numerous times. The wax is then melted off the egg to reveal the ovoid masterpiece.

Easter Eggs Around the World

The Greeks dye their Easter Eggs red to symbolize and honor the blood of Christ, while those in Germany and Austria, traditionally give green eggs on Maundy (or Holy) Thursday—the day commemorating Christ's Last Supper. In Slavic countries, decorating eggs in special patterns of gold and silver adds luster to the shell and to the sharing. The Armenian tradition is to decorate hollowed out eggshells with religious images significant to the holiday. The Easter Egg hunt itself has also taken many cultural twists and turns. In America, of course, the colored Easter Eggs are hidden and then children search for them. In the northern counties of England, children act out the "Pace Egg Play" and beg for eggs and other presents; the term Pace itself is a derivative of the ancient Hebrew verb posach (to pass over), which has evolved into the better known word and holiday title Pesach, or Passover.

Pennsylvania Dutch children believed that if they were good, the Oschter Haws would lay a nest of brightly colored eggs. And, in a far-removed invocation of the egg's primal symbol—fertility—Polish girls used to send eggs to their beloveds as a token of their feelings. Even more interesting is the fact that a roasted egg can take the place of a lamb shank (which mirrored the traditional sacrificial lamb) on the Seder plate at a Jewish Passover celebration.

The egg, like the Rabbit, has become fused into the spring festival of Easter throughout the world. Whether colored, hollowed or made of candy, the source of a child's delight or a symbol of faith, this image of newlife and renewal certainly has made its own nest in the human cultural psyche.

National Park Service For Kids

Children age 5 and up are welcome to participate in Cape Cod National Seashore’s Junior Ranger Program. This program encourages children to explore our park and investigate some of its unique resources.To participate in the program, stop by one of the visitor centers. Families with children 8 years and over will need to purchase a Junior Ranger Activity Book ($2.05) and request a list of requirements. After completing the requirements, each youngster will receive a Junior Ranger Patch at one of the visitor centers.Children ages 5 to 7 can earn a special Junior Ranger souvenir by picking up and completing a list of requirements for their age group at a visitor center

Mom's Promoting Moms - The Mom Pack

The Mom Pack™!

They are a group of moms in business who work together to build their businesses. They invite you to join us in their mission:To Support Our Mutual Goals of Success through an Innovative Free Advertising Partnership.Membership to the Mom Pack™ is, and always will be, free. Members enjoy the following benefits: CLICK HERE

Description

The MomPack is a cooperative, not-for-profit organization, founded by working moms, run by working moms and for working moms to exchange business information amongst each other to help promote and advertise each other's businesses on and offline. If you are working mom, please feel free to join us, so that we may build our businesses together. This is a VERY active and large list of members. It can get overwhelming. Check your preferences of mail receiving at yahoogroups.com and choose what's best for you. Also, while we like to know what our members' businesses are, we do NOT appreciate nor tolerate SPAM. When subscribing to our list, "no email" is not recommended. Please choose "special notices" so that we may alert you to updates at the mompack site or important happenings here on the list. Don't forget to visit MomPack.com for even more great things! Once you join us here, you will automatically get a few files of list guidelines. Thank you and enjoy your stay!We support our members! Check out their Mom 2 Mom Directory!

Stride Rite Kids Shoes

You have to love a timed classic kids shoe. Stride Rite which has been providing moms with their first shoes for their babies for over 40 years has picked up the pace with gorgeous girls shoes!

New for spring - summer 2006 is the pretty pink print girls shoe. It comes in all girls sizes. Prices range from $46.00 to $54.00. This stride rite girls shoe is made of a suede leather upper with mesh sides. It also has a hook and loop closure for easy on and off.

Adorable gifts for babies and children

Apples and Beans is an online boutique that offers a unique selection of gifts including arts and crafts items, bibs, hooded towels, puzzles, hand painted plates, wooden toys, plush items and educational items. There is a huge selection of baby gifts as well as birthday gifts for children up to 6 years. Every item ordered is gift-wrapped free of charge and can be shipped to you or directly to the recipient.

Visit www.applesandbeans.com before October 10, 2005 and enjoy a 10% discount for being a savvy 'Jessica Shops" shopper! Simply enter the Coupon Code JessicaShops at checkout to receive your discount.

Yogurt Breakfast Sunday with Fruit

Fruit and yogurt breakfast sundaeWho wouldn’t be happy to find this wonderful creation waiting for them at breakfast time? Easy, delicious and, yes, undeniably healthy. A perfect start to the day.

1 cup (250 mL) fresh fruit or berries (see list below)

1/2 cup (125 mL) plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt

1/2 cup (125 mL) granola or other whole-grain cereal

1 tbsp. (15 mL) honey or your favourite fruit jam

Spoon half of the fruit or berries into the bottom of a parfait glass or other ice cream sundae-type dish. Top with half of the yogurt, and sprinkle with half of the cereal.Repeat with remaining fruit and remaining yogurt.Add a decorative drizzle of honey or a dollop of jam and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cereal.

For a finishing touch decorate with a single, perfect berry or slice of fruit. Beautiful! Makes one irresistibly delicious serving.Choose one or more of the following fruits and berries to create your Breakfast Sundae. Use fresh fruit when it’s available; otherwise unsweetened frozen or canned fruit is perfectly acceptable:

Healthy Kids

Get clean! Healthy hygiene for childrenIn this article

Keep skin clearPimples may pop up when puberty hits—usually between 11 and 15.

Know how to wash. Young children don’t need soap on their faces because their oil glands haven’t started to produce oil. Instead, use water to clean off food and dirt, suggests Dr. Brandith Irwin, a dermatologist in Seattle. “Once kids start puberty and their faces become oilier, they should be washing them twice a day.”

Pick the right products. Over-the-counter products, such as Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, are great for kids who don’t have acne. Children who are developing acne could try a cleanser with benzoyl peroxide, which helps reduce bacteria on the skin and oiliness. “They’re usually called acne washes; Neutrogena has one,” says Dr. Irwin. “If their acne is not bad, Oxy 5 is perfect for treating it.”

See a dermatologist. Any child with moderate to severe acne, especially if it’s starting to scar, should see a dermatologist. “We have so many treatments we can try—we get on top of it quickly,” says Dr. Irwin. Children with a parent or grandparent who had cystic scarring acne, which is often hereditary, should also see a dermatologist. “We act a lot faster with those kids,” says Dr. Irwin.

Stayin Home and Lovin It! is an award winning team with unparalleled success. A Team of individuals committed to you and your goals. We will supply you with the FREE training, FREE tools and one on one mentoring needed to work from home and be successful.

Finally a team with the success, heart and passion for what we do.What is important to you? Financial Freedom? Quality time with Family? Balance in your Personal, Family and Business life? We have what you are looking for…It is your life. It is your choice. Choose the best.

Video Game - Can they help?

A lot of grown-ups worry that spending too much time playing video games isn't good for a kid's health.But some doctors have noticed that kids who bring their handheld game players to the hospital seem less worried about being there. These patients also seem to experience less pain when they are concentrating on a superhero adventure or a car race.

UltraViolet is a character who represents a superhero researcher. She was created for the Hospital-based Online Pediatric Environment (HOPE). Artwork courtesy Johns Hopkins Children's Center

Patients in HOPE have a life-threatening condition where their kidneys no longer filter wastes from their blood. To get their blood cleaned, these kids must be hooked up to dialysis (pronounced dye-AL-uh-sis) machines at the hospital three times a week, for at least three hours each time.

HOPE allows kids to play online sports, racing, and adventure games with each other. Eventually they will be able to connect with kids in other hospitals who are undergoing the same procedure.

"We want to use the power of the Internet to bring together kids who feel they are isolated by their illness, and let them know they are not alone," said Arun Mathews, the doctor who heads the program. He loves video games himself and got the idea to connect kids all over the country.Many researchers elsewhere are testing video programs that might help young patients. For example, nine-year-old Ben Duskin of San Francisco, California, who was struggling with cancer helped to design a video game where players get rid of cancer cells.

Blogs for Kids

Flush out the writer in children. Blogging could draw out a young writer and open doors to their future. Consider encouraging your child to start blogging!Children love having an audience. The instant recognition and approval that comes from a crowd just can't be beat. Employing blogs to help develop good spelling habits, grammar skills, and develop a love for writing at a young age is an innovative concept that has potential benefits:Benefits

Responsibility/Commitment - Daily Posts Regular updates require children to be disciplined and responsible.

Communication - Increased Communication with Friends and RelativesBlogging or journaling gives children the opportunity to connect with relatives who might live some distance away, communicating important timely issues.

Technology - Exposure to Internet Technologies Children are growing into technology-laden world. Exposure to innovative Internet technology will help them with communication skills and résumé-building.

Improved Writing Skills When presented with an audience, children will want to present their "best" work.

Improved Editing Skills Proofreading is an important skill that is difficult to teach. Editing of daily entries will help children learn how to present their ideas clearly and professionally.

Improved Spelling Automated spell-checking helps children be aware of spelling errors when they occur.

Typing Getting children acquainted with keyboards at a young age will help them become familiar with their layout and function, quickly making them proficient typists.

Because blogging involves the Internet, parents and teachers should also take the opportunity to educate youngsters about the dangers of the Internet. The Internet is global in its reach and developing safe Internet habits at a young age is critical. Remind children not to disclose personal information including names, addresses or location of events they plan to attend.

Parents Electronics

We are delighted to report that the Consumer Electronics Show of 2006 is now officially concluded. Yahoo!! (Google, too!!) Like the other 150,000 participants, my feet are killing me and my pockets are filled with 300+ business cards from people hawking devices great and small. I was looking for devices that are fun… that transform how we interact… that improve our quality of life. There were enough devices that fit these criteria that we will have fodder for reviews for an entire year ahead. Here is a completely subjective list of the “Best of Show” gadgets I saw at CES. (Most of these are demonstrated on the accompanying dozen videoblogs we filed from the show, so please check them out!)

Kids Safety

(CBS) CBS News tech analyst Larry Magid offers tips to parents on how they can ensure their children blog safely.Most adults define their community in geographical terms: the people who live nearby. But thanks to the Internet, many teens and some preteens also live in virtual communities that have no geographical boundaries. For better or worse, the Internet has opened them up to the world. Nowhere is this more profound than the recent trend of "spaces" or "blogging." Short for "Web log," a "blog" is a Web page maintained by an individual, organization or business for the purpose of communicating with others. There are millions of blogs out there and, according to researchers at Georgetown University, more than half of them are run by people between 13 and 19. Another term, "spaces," is used to describe services like MySpace, LiveJournal, Xanga and MSN Spaces that provide people with free tools to create their own online communities or blogs. Kids are using these blogs for all sorts of things, ranging from describing their homework assignments to exploring their hobbies to exposing their innermost thoughts. Some kids post photos on their blogs or put up links to their favorite music or movies. There are a lot of positive aspects to blogging. For one thing, it helps teens develop language and communications skills, and becoming an Internet publisher can greatly enhance a teenager's sense of self-esteem. Blogs offer young people not only a sounding board for what's on their mind, but also feedback and validation from others, who can comment on what they write using a feedback mechanism on the blog itself. Blogs can also be used as learning tools. There are some teachers and schools, for example, that encourage students to use blogging tools to discuss their assignments. Although there are some commercial blogging services that charge money, most kids take advantage of the free services. In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, these sites are open only to children 13 or older (although check the Terms of Use for any particular site to be sure), but younger children lie about their age if they're determined to create a blog.